Two men sentenced for cutting down Sycamore Gap tree

The Sycamore Gap tree was chopped down in September 2023

Two men from Cumbria have been sentenced to four years and three months each in prison for illegally cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland.

They were also sentenced to another six months for the damage caused to Hadrian's Wall.

The famous tree, which stood next to Hadrian's Wall, was chopped down overnight in September 2023.

Daniel Graham who is 39 and Adam Carruthers who is 32 were each convicted of two counts of criminal damage in May.

Speaking on the motive behind the crime which she believes was pre-planned, the judge, Mrs Justice Lambert, said a "major factor" was "sheer bravado".

She added cutting down the tree and the outrage it caused gave the men "some sort of thrill" and that both men were equally responsible.

Why is the Sycamore Gap tree so famous?

The world famous tree attracted visitors from all over the world

The Sycamore Gap tree was planted some time between 1860 and 1890.

It stood along Hadrian's Wall which was built by the Roman army and took six years to complete.

The tree became an iconic landmark after appearing in a scene in the 1991 film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, with people all over the world visiting the site to see it.

It was one of the most photographed trees in the country and even won the Woodland Trust's Tree of the Year in 2016.